Arizona man jailed for attempting to smuggle pot into Plymouth

COURTHOUSE — An attempt to smuggle 270 pounds of medical marijuana to Montgomery County for illegal purposes was thwarted by state police and has landed an Arizona man behind bars.

Ralph V. Garcia, 56, of Tucson, was sentenced in county court to 2½ to 5 years in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to felony charges of possession with intent to deliver marijuana, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities and conspiracy in connection with a March 2011 incident during which state police seized the marijuana when it arrived in Plymouth.

President Judge William J. Furber Jr., who accepted a plea agreement in the case, also ordered Garcia to complete five years’ probation, meaning Garcia will be under court supervision for 10 years.

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“This was a large-scale drug operation. It was the diversion of what we would call medical marijuana from Arizona and California, that being marijuana that is legally possessed and grown in those states for medical treatment. We’ve now found the trend that individuals who legally can possess or grow medical marijuana in states that have lawfully allowed it find they can make more money off of it selling it in states where it’s illegal,” said Pennsylvania Chief Deputy Attorney General Andrew M. Rongaus, who prosecuted the case.

Garcia, authorities alleged, possessed a medical marijuana identification card out of California showing he was a patient legally permitted to possess marijuana.

“This being high-grade medical marijuana goes for anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 a pound on the street, so we’re talking about a substantial amount of money from the profit of the sale,” added Rongaus, alleging the plan was to distribute the marijuana in the Philadelphia region for a profit.

Areyan Babylove Esquivel, 32, of Marina Del Ray, Calif., a female companion of Garcia, was sentenced to 11 months already served to one year in jail, to be followed by two years’ probation, after she pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of receipt of a controlled substance in commerce in connection with the incident. She was represented by defense lawyer Jodie Griffis.

“He strongly believes that he bears more responsibility for this than the co-defendant and he feels strongly that he is doing the right thing by entering into this plea agreement,” Hilles said. “He is admitting to his role in facilitating the transportation of marijuana from Arizona to Montgomery County.”

With the charges, state authorities alleged Garcia was the mastermind of the operation who arranged the shipment and a driver to transport the marijuana from Arizona to Pennsylvania. Under the scheme, Garcia, accompanied by Esquivel, then traveled to Montgomery County to take possession of the marijuana, authorities alleged.

On March 25, 2011, authorities in Kansas stopped a Chevy Silverado truck, operated by an unidentified man and bearing a Nevada license plate, for erratic driving. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of about 270 pounds of marijuana concealed within a hidden compartment of the vehicle, according to a criminal complaint.

The driver of the truck agreed to cooperate with authorities and “related that he was transporting the drug load to a subject in Philadelphia area and is to be paid approximately $20,000 for services rendered,” Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Jennifer A. Ruhl wrote in the criminal complaint.

The driver, accompanied by Kansas authorities, transported the drug load to Pennsylvania as planned and Pennsylvania State Police joined the investigation. A controlled delivery operation was conducted on a parking lot in the 2200 block of Chemical Road in Plymouth, during which the 270 pounds of marijuana was delivered, intercepted by police and Garcia and Esquivel were taken into police custody, court papers indicate.

“It’s clear Mr. Garcia was giving directions as to where the meeting place was going to be, where they were going to meet to exchange the drugs,” Rongaus said.

The judge said Garcia is eligible for the state’s Recidivism Risk Reduction Incentive program, which will allow him to reduce his minimum sentence to 22½ months if he successfully completes required prison treatment programs.